Day 4 of “The 12 Days of a Sanctuary Functional Christmas”
“Four Key Nutrients for Healthy Holiday Celebrations: Incorporating MVPM into your Holiday Fare”
“Our patients learn a great deal about MVPM during their health journey with us even if they never hear us bring them all together under this mnemonic. Minerals, Vitamins, Phytonutrients, and Modulators play a key role in restoring health in those broken by chronic illness. They also play a key role in avoiding future chronic illness.
When holiday celebrations roll around this year, don’t forget what we have taught you. Hopefully, you have learned to incorporate these critical nutrients into your daily routine. Now, you can learn to incorporate them into your holiday routine. It just takes a little creativity.
Start by stepping back and considering the new options for healthier eating that you have learned. Ask yourself how you might incorporate each of these nutrients into your holiday fare. Below are some starter ideas.
For Minerals (M), if you can safely eat nuts, consider adding these great sources of minerals into a dish. In the south, that might be a casserole or a healthier than average dessert. Just use some sweetener alternatives to cane sugar. You can also switch to a quality sea salt or Pink Himalayan salt for the shaker on the table. Neither you nor your loved ones will probably know the taste difference.
For Vitamins (V), consider carefully the veggies that find their way into your kitchen and onto your plate. Carrots, broccoli, green leafy veggies, and more can complement your preferred main course in a variety of ways. Try coming up with a new and interesting salad combination topped with a homemade dressing made with good fats and cane sugar alternatives such as honey. If you have learned your food sources of various vitamins, you can challenge yourself or others to include each “vitamin” on their plate.
For Phytonutrients (P), remember that each veggie color truly reflects different sets of phytonutrients. These substances serve as anti-oxidants benefiting a wide range of metabolic processes. If you can’t remember the various sources, at least you can remember to include some greens, reds, oranges, purples, blues, and yellows on your plate. Get past the whites and browns to make your holiday plate come alive with nutrition as well as flavor.
For Modulators (M), the good news is that many of these are included in the sources above so that you don’t have to come up with another list for the plate. While non-critical to the body, these important substances augment optimal function. Quercetin as an antioxidant and gut restorer is found in apple skins and other sources. Others can be consciously added as spices. Garlic and ginger not only spice up a dish, but lower inflammation and oxidative stress. Some modulators like ashwagandha or milk thistle may need to be taken in capsule form. Just pop one in on the way to the table.
With this and other health awareness wisdom, you can come out the other end of the holidays with less guilt, more energy, and more confidence that you can live a healthier more abundant life the whole year long.”
Sanctuary Functional Medicine, under the direction of Dr Eric Potter, IFMCP MD, provides functional medicine services to Nashville, Middle Tennessee and beyond. We frequently treat patients from Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, and more... offering the hope of healthier more abundant lives to those with chronic illness.
